


[ML] Summer 2018

by FR_Zephyniah



Category: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:35:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29717259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FR_Zephyniah/pseuds/FR_Zephyniah
Summary: This is a serie of oneshots i wrote back in 2018, already published in Wattpad. Since i'm leaving the community, i think it's a great idea to at least republish my works in another plattform, so that more people will know about the game. I still have 1 draft left, but i don't know if i'm able to finish it. I will try my best.
Kudos: 2





	1. Higanbana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Higanbana: When the equinox comes, the Higanbana blooms

(Inspired by “Like a shadow follow me” – pezolettalaya)  
Word count: 2625.

*  
“And then our ties will break  
For your and my own sake  
Just remember  
This is what you chose”(*)  
*

Tracing his blood scent was how she found his hideout. Actually, it was not that difficult to track him down when almost all of the trees fell to the same direction, leading her to where the blood bath took place. What she didn’t expect, was that he manage to survive through the sudden onslaught, although his states didn’t exactly fit to the word “survive”. It was behind the huge rock stained with sticky red liquid that she finally found him. He was bathing in a puddle of blood that mostly his. His clothes was torn apart to reveal numerous fatal wounds. And a slightly moving chest was the only sign that indicate he was still on the realm of the living.  
Without any hesitation, Hanabi dragged her childhood friend to the nearby cave that hid under the shade of a century-old tree, finding a dry place and gently laid him there.  
That night was the longest night that she has ever experienced. Hayabusa’s breaths were shallow and his body was hot as burning coal. The wounds although has stop bleeding but Haya hasn’t gained his conscious back. However, Hanabi has done the best that she could. She took care of his wounds with all the medical knowledge she learnt from her Master, she didn’t even close her eyes for just a single minute but focused on counting his breath. When the morning came, his condition was just a bit better and yet Hanabi was strongly convinced that he would gonna make it out alive.  
Night became day then day was soon replaced by night, she has done nothing but diligently took care of him and kept an eyes on his vital signs. She just hoped he didn’t bang his head too hard that he forgot everything once he wake up.  
Hard work pays off, on the fourth day, Haya opened his eyes. He scanned the place where he laid and his eyes stopped when he saw her. His eyes softened a bit as he muttered something that she interpreted it as a “Thank you”. Hanabi smiled tiredly and brought a finger to his lips. A patient shouldn’t allowed to talk too much.  
On the twelfth day, Haya could finally walk by himself and decided get outside the cave. To stretch his muscles and to fill the lungs with fresh air was what he said. Hanabi didn’t protest as she saw his poor attempt to walk without panting of pain between his paces. It surely will take a lot of time till he regain his full speed. As Haya walked past the entrance of the cave, his arm accidentally knocked her Katana leaned on the wall full of moss. The sword clashed to the ground and the scabbard shifted a bit, revealing a flower that symbolizes for her ninja clan. Hanabi‘s eyes went wide as the flower remind her of an unfinished mission she was carrying.  
*  
It was not until the sun had already set that Haya got back. His clothes was covered with many tiny chrysopogon and his sandal was stuck with mud. It seemed he did wander far and by “far”, she meant he did make it to the waterfall that took her nearly half an hour to get from here to there. Hanabi silently admired his endurance as she made him sit down and gave him a cup of tea to quench his thirst. Hayabusa, however, didn’t see the cup she offered him. Instead, he reached out to pull her body close to his, in his left hand was a bunch of flowers which was too familiar to her. Hanabi’s eyes went wide when she saw him leaned in and embraced her face. Her heart raced when she thought of what him was about to do but instead, she just felt his heavy breaths on her forehead and his gentle hands on her soft hair. Turned out he was just trying to put the flowers in her ebony hair. Nevertheless, her cheeks were still hot from blushing due to their closeness. After a while, he pulled himself back to look at his work and smiled slightly while tucking some of her stray hair behind her earlobe. Out of the blue, Hanabi felt as if she was struck by a lightning which resulted in her feeling paralyzed from head to toe.  
The cup collided with the hard ground when her hand was too weak to handle such weight and it shattered to many million pieces. Its crashing sound brutally wreaked havoc with the quiescence of wilderness, alerted the surrounding nocturnal animal. The herbal tea spilled all over the rough ground they were sitting on and soon dried out under the heat of the late summer night, leaving its bitter scent fogged up all over their humble cave and lingered on her sore eyes and his torn lips.  
After a simple dinner with few fishes he caught earlier and some wild mushrooms, she decided to change his wrapping cloth. Carefully loosened the bandage to reveal his fatal wounds, Hanabi didn’t realize she was holding her breath until all of his torso was freed from those bloodstained white cloth. Despite the bloody wrapping, his state was quite optimistic. Those wounds had closed, even the deepest one that ran along his left chest. No doubt he will be fully healed within the next 2 days. Hanabi genuinely smiled, couldn’t help herself to be quite proud of her works. Under the light of the smother candle, she found herself cannot resist the urge to touch his well-toned ab. His countless angry scars due to training and battling were really painful just to look at. The scarlet ninja suddenly felt guilty ‘cos she knew she was responsible for some of them.  
Her soft hands travelled to his chest, then to his collarbones and then, to the spot behind his neck. Hanabi lifted her eyes to look at him, surprised to see his orbs bored right into hers. Impulsively, her hand reached out to grab the sides of his face, gently inspect it as if it was a priceless vintage vase. His shinny orbs caught her eyes and the color of them had left she confused during their first unexpected encounter. Was it the color of blood, the ruby that craved in the hairpin of the most famous geisha in Iga or was it even legitimate to be a color of normal eyes. She never asked how he got his bizarre iris. It was just trivial thing which she decided not to let her mind meddle with. A ninja should always focus on the bigger picture. That’s what her Master had said.  
Hanabi leaned in and clumsily pressed her lips to his. They tasted like iron and were cold as ice, but soon melted under her smouldering lips. The creamy haori slipped below her shoulder, revealed her bare ivory skin in contrast with her ebony hair that started to loosen up and pool over her sensual waist. Hayabusa didn’t protest her blundering assault. He didn’t make a move until she reached to untie his obi. His hands stopped her and his word reminded her of a ninja must never give in to her temptation and that body must obey the mind.  
Shamefully, she withdrew her hands. Hanabi averted her eyes to their silhouettes printed on the nearby wall, surprised to see his overshadow hers. Then with trembling hands, she fastened her almost undone haori. Finding a good excuse, Hanabi left him alone in the dark with his unvoiced thoughts. The chill breeze gently swept through her strayed hair as she got out of the cave, making her body shivered a little. In a blink of an eye, she darted to the forest nearby while lifting up the hood over her head, shielding herself from the accusing moonlight.  
**  
“I have his Katana and his shirt…”. Hanabi declared as she dropped those said thing to the floor, silently hoped the other ninja doesn’t detect the blood scent imprinted on the shirt that she desperately tried to concealed with her own fragrance. Though she doubted if she could make it through his keen senses.  
“And what am I supposed to do with that, my dear Hanabi? Disguise as him?”. The man in black who was still siting with his back on her spoke up from the dark. His arm rested loosely on his knee.  
“What you should do with it…” She said calmly despite detecting a hint of sarcasm in his words. Her hands reached for her hair to seize the hair band. “Is none of my business”.  
She quickly got up to her feet and turned to leave. But soon found herself blocked by the figure. She instantly distanced from him, feeling uneasy to get too closed to his presence.  
“How come I always feel you are betraying me, my little bird?”. He said, emphasizing the last three words while looked down to her with his ominous eyes. The scar ran across his left eye was more visible under the dim light. His fair skin was much paler in the dark.  
“Maybe you should question yourself when you betrayed our clan”.  
The male ninja then snaked his arm around her waist to prevent her from taking a step back. His fingers dug to her skin and made her silently curse. Surely, it will leave bruises, she thought.  
“I want his head, not those useless things”. He hissed to her ear and she glad that he had his mask on so that she doesn’t feel his filthy breath on her skin. She also glad that she didn’t take her mask off.  
“We have a deal that I will poison him.” She defiantly answered. “You didn’t say I have to make him dead”.  
“We have a deal that you will assassinate him.” He grabbed her chin with his other hand and caressed her cheek through the fabric. Hanabi saw the hidden kunai in his sleeve. She then lifted her eyes to glare at his.  
“And if he isn’t dead, that doesn’t count, does it?”. He continued.  
The former ninja shadow didn’t return her glare, instead he focused on a specific thing that stick to her hair band. Something that was so shiny despite the dim light of the room.  
“What is this thing?” he said as he reached for the flowers secured on her head.  
“Don’t you touch that”. She snarled and stepped away from his embrace, but he was faster to snatch it away from her hair. Without showing any mercy, he tore up the flowers to reveal the hidden shuriken. The light reflected from it remind her of the sharpness of her childhood friend’s Katana. Her heart skipped a beat as the reality slowly sank in. Hayabusa has known where she is.  
“Interesting.” He said as he inspected the thing in his hand as if this is the first time he saw such thing. “Finally, a worthy opponent”. She heard he mumbled under his breath.  
Sweat began to form on her forehead as the temperature in the room rose. The air was so thick that Hanabi thought she could choke on it. A guilty feeling slowly swell in her heart as her mind tried so hard to deny the thought that she was the death of her dear friend. After what seemed to be eternity, the other ninja finally spoke up.  
“Leave now, go back to our base. He could be here any seconds” He commanded but then smirked through his mask.  
“Unless you have good excuses to defend yourself, my little heir”.  
***  
Hanabi never likes the field or the vast meadow in general. It’s a perfect place for training, that‘s true but at the same time it will be the worst place for defense, especially when you are a target in a pursuit. And yet she ran across the field that has nothing but those scarlet flowers along the path. This is a shortcut that she found out almost a year ago, when she and Hayabusa raced back to their village. She would have won though if she didn’t lost in the bamboo forest near their village. That was such a bad luck.  
The skyline was tinted with golden light which is the signal that the sun was about to rise. It made her feel unpleasant ‘cos she much preferred the night. Long time ago, someone has told her, the darkness can also be a friend.  
“What hurts more, to kill or to be killed by the one you love?”. Hanabi once asked Hayabusa after one of their routine sparring, when the blades of their katana were blazing hot from clashing and their clothes were soaked with sweat. As they lied down the vast meadow filled up with evergreen grass, Hanabi would begin to throw him questions. They were nothing personal, or important, just about trivial things that happened to cross her mind. She doesn’t always remember how it started but she knows for sure it always ends with something that has to do with the Shadow betrayer.  
“Good question”. He breathed to the starry sky as he lifted his hand and placed it under his head to serve as a pillow, his eyes reflected the roundness of the full moon. The words left his mouth so easy that Hanabi started to wonder if she has asked him this question hundreds of time before.  
“But I don’t know” was all he managed to say.  
She hardly bought it. Perhaps it’s true that he didn’t know the answer, but she was more convinced that he did and he simply didn’t want to voice out his thought. She should have pushed him though, because now, part of her knew, it was far too late in doing so.  
Hanabi quickened her paces and clenched the shuriken in her hand. She fixed her eyes upon the golden horizon where the pinkish cloud was starting to dissolve, wasn’t sure whether she should hope to see his familiar figure or not. Something told her, that their last encounter was the final. She had come so close to have him and yet she failed the last minute. At the end of the day, she bitterly realized, that they weren’t for each other in the first place to begin with and maybe, this is how things should fall into places. Hanabi didn’t know how to feel about that though.  
Missing one step and twisted her ankle, Hanabi fell to the bed of resplendent Higanbana flowers. She closed her eyes as letting herself dive deeper, hoping those scarlet flowers will engulf her somehow. Instead, the Higanbana welcomed her with a soothing embrace of a mother to her child after a long lost time, lifting her up to face the breaking dawn that was about to set in. After all, equinox is when those flowers bloom as their finest.  
Hanabi silently looked at the faded silver moon that loosely hang above her head, feeling at peace as she giving herself a little time to rest. She was so exhausted and far from being okay. But right now, it’s no need to rush, no need to put her guard up or scare of that snort-nosed shadow will take advantage of her weakness.  
Because she knew, this time, Hayabusa won’t be able to be one step ahead of her. The rivalry between them, the one that showered her heart in jealousy and fueled her mind after every sour defeat, finally, was over.  
*  
The end.  
(*) Katie Melua- Piece by piece.  
A/n:  
Higanbana (Lycoris radiata) is a plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae, also known as a red spider lily. Some legends have it that when you see someone that you may never meet again, these flowers would bloom along the path. (Wikipedia)


	2. Salvatore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salvatore: Every rose has its thorn and so does she.

(Inspired by the song Salvatore- Lana Del Rey)  
Word count: 3600  
*  
“The summer’s wild  
and I’ve been waiting for you all this time  
I adore you, can’t you see  
You’re meant for me?”  
*  
Warning: Mature content.  
(This is probably the darkest one shot I’ve ever written. Please consider before you continue reading)  
Alucard’s standard for an ideal lover was simple. An elegant flower with a radiant smile like the sun and beautiful mind. She should have a graceful figure like the willow and an attractive face that capture the other’s heart at first sight. She also has to have a kind heart, a compassion for the poor and maybe a little sense of humor. It’s no need to be sexy, but if she is, well, then Gods bless her.  
However, the most important thing is, the crucial condition is, she must be a smartass girl.  
“And that, my comrade, is how you capture their intelligence”. Natalia concluded as she pointed to the map before her where the red X neatly crossed at the center, driving Alucard from his heavy daydream. They have spent nearly 2 hours in this tiny room just to discuss about the new scheme for the later intrusion to the enemy’s base, although Alucard paid more attention to the woman stood before him than the maps she was showing. However, his brain, despite being occupied by thoughts that mostly shady, could pinpoint the main thing she was saying.  
Take the intelligence and hide it right beneath the base, in the tunnel that they has dug a week earlier. Wait until midnight, when all of the guard has been sent away to retrieve the intelligence, transfer it to the backup troops that has waited outside. Run away with the booty and hold a victory feast once they get home.  
What did Natalia say earlier? “The most dangerous place is the safest”, right?  
Brilliant.  
“When my father save you from the Church, I bet he didn’t know he just got himself not only a gifted assassin but also an ingenious mastermind.” Alucard said with wide eyes full of adoration. He could help but admire her one of a kind plan.  
“I’m flattered”. Natalia smirked while giving him a feathered pat to his back. She then gave him encouraging praise. “Don’t worry Alucard, you will get to know more when you’re older.”  
She observed his charming face which lighten up by his sly smile. His statuesque face and his well-built body, all made a perfect combination. His silver hair somehow was so identical to her. Alucard just entered his adulthood last month with a fancy birthday party that almost all girls in this country attend to. In his early twenties, he was just a reckless boy, barely a man and yet, Natalia can see the potential of a true hero in him, probably the new king in the near future. Girls are dying to lay in his arms and boys couldn’t suppress envy growls while he was around.  
“Is your mother pretty, Alucard?”. Natalia absentmindedly asked, got carried away by her thought. When she realized what she was saying, it was too late. She then immediately added. “Because I can see you inherit her allurement”.  
“Was, Natalia, was”. Alucard corrected her while keeping his head down, pretending to look at the map to hide his blushing cheeks. His bang didn’t do much to cover his embarrassed face.  
“I don’t remember her face. But my father once said she was the prettiest woman he’s ever met”.  
“How did she die then?...if I may ask.”  
“She died giving birth to me”.  
Natalia gave him a sympathetic look, growing up without the love of mother must be very hard for him. Lucky that he still had his father, who couldn’t done better to raise his son to who he has become now.  
“How about you, Natalia?” Alucard asked with unsettling voice, quickly diverted his gaze when he accidentally saw her abundant bosom beneath the ample garment. “I bet your mother possessed such an exquisite beauty”.  
“I’m orphan”. She bluntly stated, completely unaware of his hidden message. “And they said I’m nothing like her”.  
“Really? What a coincidence!” He beamed at her. His deadly smile can drag any girl to his bed. ‘cos I also bear no resemblance to my father”  
Natalia could help but felt quite amused by his innocent reply. “We have lots of thing in common, I guess”. She shrugged.  
“Actually, we are more alike than you think, Natalia”. He muttered under his breath, couldn’t take his eyes of the bare skin of her neck which was so soft and fresh, like a luxurious ice cream selling in a summer fair he has been craving since he was a kid.  
Alucard thrusted his hand to his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes. He took one but didn’t light it up. Instead, he offered to her which she couldn’t deny. Her soft hand gently brushed through his fingers, made him involuntary shivered. Before she could muttered a proper thank you, he had wrapped his arms around her torso, locked her up in a vice embrace.  
Alucard boldly placed a kiss to her lips which as a result electrified her. Her body was rigid, her breath stuck at her throat as he deepened the kiss, sending more electric waves washed through her system. After having overcome the initial shocks, Natalia tilted her head to dodge his lips, let the naïve kiss slip to her flushed cheek. Her hands weakly pushed him aside in a futile attempt. His painting breaths agonizingly resembled to her lover’s ones as he buried his face to the crock of her neck.  
“Don’t do that again.” She weakly protested once he’s done with his untamed lust and dropped himself to the nearby chair, seeing white. Her dried voice lacked of authority like usual.  
Alucard, with his hurt self-esteem, never thought that one day he would assault a powerless woman in her own chamber. Not to mention she was the one he always adored and admired, and that he had silently vowed to protect her ever since they first met.  
“I won’t”. Alucard muttered under his breath, feeling as if the sky has crumbled beneath his feet. He then lifted his eyes to give her a regretful look while she lifted her hood to cover the fresh love mark that he left in her ravishing neck. The wind carried his sorry away, made himself wonder if he did truly say it or not.  
With a collapsed ego, he dragged his sinful body towards the door, didn’t dare to give her a proper farewell. Natalia watched him left, silently accused herself of being so incautious for just a second. His retreating back reminded her of a man who can carry a whole kingdom in his shoulder. She then quickly made her way to the washroom, suddenly craved to have a good bath.  
*  
“My father once said she was the prettiest woman he’s ever met”.  
*  
**  
“You’re late.” She said while stubbing the cigarette in the ashtray, siting with her back to the door and didn’t bother to give the newcomer a welcoming look.  
“I’m not, Nat. You are just early”. He gently replied as he squeezed himself through the tiny doorframe. His giant form, not to mention the colossal shield and his monstrous sword he always carried, completely blocked the gloomy light from the wax candle that nearly burned itself out. This room was much more cramped than the last one they stay, not to mention the stinky smell that came from the water pipe and the cracked walls. Tigreal never exactly known where the next meeting place will be. Natalia would choose a place and left him with few unintelligible letters which he had to decipher. Tonight, they met at small cabin laid quietly under the bridge that numerous people walking by and yet no one seems to notice its existence. Irony is how thing works. It likes the eye of the storm, who knows, that the calmest region of a turbulent vortex is yet its center.  
“How is the plan doing?”. He asked after having made sure that no one would eavesdropped on their talking.  
“As good as it gets”.  
“Nice”. He complimented as she approached him with confident predatory strides. Her hips swayed seductively from side to side, synchronized with her soft breathings. When her body was almost collide with his golden armor, she stopped and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to meet her heated gaze that loaded with million unspoken thoughts. Tigreal coudn’t help but asked her if there was anything else she wants to tell.  
“Your son seems to like me”. Natalia breathed to her lover’s face. She didn’t resist when his hand reach for her clothes, finding where the zip end and gave it a slight tug. Her hood slipped to her shoulder to reveal her silver hair that shinning in the dark.  
“Does he?”. Tigreal absentmindedly asked but Natalia swore she saw a flicker of acknowledgement his tired eyes. His hands stopped for a while but then zealously resume unzip her clothes, pulled her skintight shirt over her torso. He flung haphazardly her remaining clothes to the corner of the room, beside his discarded shinny shield.  
“Aren’t you jealous?”. She asked again when they were both freed from their clothes, staring boldly at each other nakedness. She placed a kiss on his flexed muscles as her bare hot flesh pressed firmly against his.  
“Should I?”.  
“Isn’t it interesting, that both of you are pursuing the same woman”. She eyed him with luscious gaze that he found provoking and challenging at the same time. Her hands tantalized his lower body, gently stroking and rubbing. Her feeble voice was thin as smoke when they flew to his keen ears. “Like father like son, you say?”  
He didn’t say anything more as he lifted her up to his arms, secured her slender legs around his waist and carried her to the nearby wall. With more force than necessary, he harshly pressed her against the wall, forcefully shove himself between her thighs as he lifting both of her legs to his shoulder, earning from her a surprised yet pleasurable yelp.  
Natalia knew from her experiences, that Tigreal barely shows his emotion through his words. Reading his facial expression is pointless since his face is an empty book. The only way to know his feelings, is to observe his action. The way he handle everything with different manners, delicately or callously, will tell her if there was anything bother him or not.  
That night, for the first time in many passionate nights they spent together, he was rough.

“How cruel of you, Tigreal”. Natalia stretched her deluxe legs that has gone numb after their intense lovemaking, carefully avoided her aching core. Her hand gently rubbed her thighs that hurt like hell, marred with numerous bruises and love bites. “You save innocent maidens only to bed them afterwards”. She continued with a smile plastered on her flush face, worn out but completely satiated with his love.  
Tigreal wearily dropped his huge form to the squeaky bed next to her, let out a heavy sigh. His sweaty brown hair stick to his forehead while his ears was still immune to her intoxicating words. It was as if he was at his own home, procrastinated and schemed new brilliant plans, not lying in bed with a nagging bitch who constantly tried to have his attention.  
Deep in thought again, I see. Natalia smirked as she reached for her unfinished cigarettes that laid messily on the dusty table, randomly chose one and lifted it to her lips.  
“You should stop smoking, Natalia”. Tigreal suddenly spoke up from his musing, shifted his body close to her. “Once we have kids, I don’t want you to spoil them…”  
“Kids?”. She stopped, confusedly and turned to face him, who was giving her an accusing look. The smoke froze on her red lips “What kids?”  
“Our own kids”. He replied while wrapping his arms around her waist. His face buried to her lower stomach, gently placed butterfly kisses to it and sniffled in her sweet scent. When he lifted his head to see her face, his mouth stretched to his ears in a wide smile that she found him stupid and cute at the same time. “Do you want to be a mother someday, Nat?”  
“Fate forced me to become an assassin”. That was what she has told herself constantly since the day she started training for the Church. And a female assassin is far from being the same as an ordinary woman. Marry a handsome man, bear his kids, take care of them… isn’t what an assassin would do. Beside, a simple life of an obedient housewife never is her cup of tea. She will be bored to death.  
However, the thought of Tigreal trying to impregnate her somehow amuses her. She laughed in returned as if she just heard a stupid joke. “No”. She shook her head as she bended down to plant a lip to the bridge of his nose, repeated her words. “Not really”.  
**  
Natalia liked to liken her to the wolf. The kind of creature that enjoys solitude, living on its own till the death took it away. And that’s exactly how the world of an assassin should be. The less connection the better. No friend, no family, no ally. Natalia has envisioned the day she vanished from this world. Would anyone bother to find her or would anyone even notice that she’s gone? She doubted it, but chose to ignore it anyways. It wouldn’t make any difference if someone did and Natalia was doing just fine on her own.  
What else can she say about herself? She wasn’t any thread of that spider’s web called human’s community and she didn’t feel the need to be. She preferred to be a spectre and an outcast.  
And yet, in the lone road of an professional assassin, she found herself being tangled with another man, a holy knight to be precise. At first, she thought, this relationship was just temporary. Every time Tigreal discreetly paid her a visit, she always told herself, that this could be his last visit and she should, of course, tried to memorized every details of handsome face while enjoyed every seconds being with him. Nevertheless, in a peculiar way that even her brilliant mind couldn’t comprehend, they still had a way to see each other. Somehow, he always managed to show up at the door with his pathetic excuses for being late which she rarely found it reasonable and yet decided to trust it anyways, and in the next morning, which took another miracle, she always woke up found herself being intact in the warm embrace of his. This has gone for years and gradually turned into a ritual. She never planned to stop seeing him or at least think of it. It’s better this way, being his secret mistress. However, as ironic as her life itself, thing sometime didn’t turn out as it was supposed to be.  
“You are late again, Tigreal and this time don’t say it‘s because the rain slowed you down.” Natalia casually greeted the newcomer, didn’t need to turn around to see who has just arrived. His familiar scent assaulted her nostrils, but it was incredibly comforting, like the sweet smell of the earth after an early rain.  
“Stop fighting the war that’s not even yours to begin with.” Tigreal grumbled, got straight to the point without giving her a proper salute. His eyes bored right into her back that casually clad in a thin and almost see through robe. His body was trembling in anger. If she didn’t know him better, Natalia would have mistaken he was shaking due the cold of the stormy rain.  
“They paid me a fortune”. Natalia looked at him over her shoulder while spraying the perfume to her wrist, paid no heed to his grumpy voice. She blinked innocently as if she did nothing wrong and he was the one who overacted.  
“I could hardly say no.”  
“Swimming too far and you will drown, Nat”.  
“Then…may death bring me peace”.  
Natalia never thought her words could affect him that much. Maybe it’s due to her bad choice of words but mostly, she presumed, it’s because of his swaying mood that happened to be on the foul side that night. The next thing she knew, or rather, heard, was the sound of his first punched to the wall. It boomed across the room, echoed by the four walls that shakily lifted the cracked roof. Natalia did wondered if she mistaken it with the ferocious thunders of the incoming storm that was about to strike.  
“What are you trying to prove, Nat?”. He growled. “Is it vengeance or fame that you thirst for so much?”  
“Neither of it”. Came her cold reply.  
“Stop running from me, Natalia!”.  
“I’m not!”.  
“Then don’t leave me again, will you?”. Tigreal used both of his hands to hold his head as if he suffered from a real severe headache. He slumped into a chair that almost cracked under his weigh. “I’m tired of this hide and seek game, Nat”. He rubbed his brown hair that damped by the rain. “Are you?”  
“Is that so?”. Seeing her lover in his current state made Natalia’s heart swell with hurt. Tigreal should have know what he got himself into in the first place. He shouldn’t have saved her and then took her as his lover. If only they didn’t meet, then none of this would happened. Didn’t he know, on the path she chose, there was no way back. She cannot retreat, nor back off. However, he can. And she determined to free him from this misery. “Then you are free to leave, Tigreal”.  
“So you’re willing to sacrifice everything even if that means losing me?”.Tigreal buried his face to his arm in an attempt to make himself smaller. His voice sounded desperate. He completely missed her point. “My love isn’t enough for you, it seems”.  
And that was the end of it. Natalia could take it anymore.  
“Don’t you understand?” She yelled at him with a broken voice. Natalia thought she was capable of crying anymore since she was 6 and yet, tears were started to form in the corner of her eyes.“I have more enemies than my friends, allies, family in total,… Do you want to wake up one day and find me dead next to you?”. Her vision blurred with tears.  
“Didn’t you know what you got yourself into when you saved me in the first place?”  
“I got you”. He replied with a low voice that almost inaudible. He lifted his eyes to meet her, which also clouded with tears. “And that’s all I need”.  
Natalia felt her throat dried as if she just ate sand. His words echoed in her mind, made her lost her words. When she thought she had found her voice back, her minds failed to form a proper retaliation.  
She was a lost ship drifting aimlessly in the stormy night and he, with his iron soul and body, was an anchor that held her back. Like the time he saved her from the suicidal mission, he was either brutal or merciless, and yet so decisive and strong.  
She dive herself in his embrace, clung onto him as if he was her lifesaver. Beneath her collected posture, there has always been a war. It liked a vile plague wreaking havoc within her soul and left anarchy behind its path .But when he came to the view, it evaporated like mist under the sunlight. It’s in his arm that she finally found her solace and when having him around, she was being herself. If home is where the storm halts behind the door then this is it. He is her home.(*)  
“You are building a house of cards”. Natalia sobbed on his chest, wiped all her tears to his damped shirt.  
“And you are playing with fire”. Came his reply.  
“Are we always dense like this?”.  
“Everyone is a fool when it comes to love”.  
Natalia let out a small laugh. She didn’t find his word hilarious but somehow it made her just want to laugh out loud. And she found herself much relieved when she did so.  
“I’m gonna take you to my fortress.” He muttered to her ear. His warm and soothing voice made her just want to succumb to his wish. “No more running and hiding, Nat. I’ll protect you.” He placed a kiss to her silver hair, sniffled in its fragrance which only reminded him of thousands of roses.  
Natalia held his hand, surprised to see how hers so tiny compared to his. The hand that had wielded sword for years and fought countless of battles was so rough yet so gentle when it touched her. Maybe this is it, this is how her life should be and should end. With him beside her, “till the death do us part” as he said to her when they started their secret affair.  
“Thank you” Standing on her tiptoes, Natalia whispered to his ears and gave him a deep kiss on his lips. “My savior.”  
The end.  
A/n:  
Salvatore (Italian): savior.  
(*) Nhà là nơi bão dừng sau cánh cửa.


	3. Phoenix(1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix: If we are going to heal, let it be glorious.

I split this one shot into 2 chapters because it’s too long. Hope you don’t mind.  
Part 1: The canary  
*  
“I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast  
I am alone in the night”(*).  
*  
Karina never like escorting her King to the routine council meeting.  
According to Estes, the King of moon elf, it was a great chance to get to know his comrades. Settling matters, reconciling issues and seeking for potential allies…, all can be accomplished within an intimate talk. However, unlike him, for his queen consort, the meeting was nothing more than a boring chitchat which had but senseless flatteries and hollow praises. In 4 years of marriage, she has been to countless of conferences and yet not a single one can erase the stereotype she had since the first day.  
Nevertheless, whenever Estes asked her to join him, she would gladly accept without a second though. At least, this is the closest thing she would get to be in his presence, although all of his attention wasn’t on her, considering most of the time he has been absent from their marriage life due to his duty as a King of the moon elf. So there she was again, sitting like a statue, pretending to be deaf as those aides bragged about their “glorious victory” or reported their “amazing adventures” while Estes, on the other hand, being carried away by their stories. He was a good listener, she admitted, never let his partners felt left out in a talk. Karina kept looking at his direction, longing to meet his gaze for once. But it was clearly a lost hope.  
It has passed midnight and the meeting still showed no sign of ending. Slightly sleepy and frustrated, she lifted her hand to cover her yawn. In a second, from the corner of the eye, she caught him looking at her.  
**  
When Karina was allowed to leave, it was already 3 in the morning. Her head was spinning around and jumping to bed will be the first thing she do when she gets to her chamber. She was so exhausted that her mind may not think straight but a certain voice had snapped her from her drowsiness.  
“Such a beautiful queen to have in a conference.”  
Karina startled and quickly turned to face the man who uttered such a disrespect. Given the fact that she was the queen and this was her King’s palace.  
And she wasn’t surprised. It was a guy from the meeting who had brunette hair and an “amazing adventure”. The one peeked at her earlier. Also a bold guy who dared to flirt with a married woman right inside of her husband’s house.  
“Such a great fantasy you got there”. She retorted, earned from him confusing frown.  
“Pardon me, your highness”.  
“Orion can only be seen in winter and yet June is barely start.” She stated, pointed out what seemed to be illogical in his drama, couldn’t suppressed a taunt smirk when his face changed from being complacent to something embarrassed .Quit it, handsome boy, I have the high ground.  
“Your whole story is nothing but a pathetic lie.” She harshly accused, dealt a final blow to his arrogant ego. This should teach him a lesson.  
“And yet your naïve King still believe it”.  
“Watch your tongue, young man”. She snarled, ready to drip venomous insults from her mouth if not for her status as a queen restrained herself from doing so. “You are too young to die, aren’t you?”. She took a step forward while held her head high, stretched her lips to a thin line. Her purple orbs bore straight into his brown ones. Both find themselves take part in a staring contest, where a blink could serve as an implicit defeat.  
And when she thought the air between them cannot getting any more heated, he burst into laughter.  
“I think we have a misunderstanding, your Highness.” He said in between his laugh while Karina wondered herself if it was something she said earlier that he found comic.  
“Though some of the details in my story aren’t quite exactly, let’s say, precise as you have said, I assure you, most of it aren’t fictional and I’m in no way would deceive your King, let along planning to sabotage his kingdom, if that what’s you worrying about”. He gave him a lengthy explanation as if he knew she wouldn’t believe in him. “I have my honor, you know”.  
In an attempt to prove her his goodwill, he gave out one of his hands in front of her face, the other one stopped playing with a silver dagger and shove it to the scabbard. Skillfully.  
Karina didn’t accepted his hand as first. Her anger was far from cooling down and his excuse was nowhere near reliable. However, realizing that he wouldn’t back down until she shake his hand and that letting her people see their queen getting to close to another man who isn’t their king wasn’t a wise move, so she finally gave in. And as cautious as a sheep in front of a wolf, she reluctantly accepted his hand, astonished to see how warm it was when he squeezed her hand in his, although it was a little rough due to many scars. When she was about to withdraw her hand back, he bowed down and kissed her wrist, a little too deep to her liking.  
“It’s Gusion”. He declared while fixing his scarf in the place, giving her a charming smile. “You can call me Gusion, your Highness”.  
“Nice to meet you, Gusion”. She put on her fake smile and tried to look touched. Her eyes gleamed with a mock friendliness as she secretly wiped her hand to the back of her dress. “And may I remind you, commit a treason will only result in death”.  
He was obviously offended and about to retort when a guard interrupted. The king wants to meet you in his study, sir, he said, immediately.  
“Fine”. He groaned, clearly annoyed by the sudden summon. Before heading back to the main hall with the messenger, he had just enough time to mutter to her ear, with his hoarse voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your Highness. See you later.”  
As if I would meet you again. She thought sarcastically as she turned on her heels towards her palace, tried to shove their debate to the back of her mind while tiredness threatened to overwhelm her with a good sleep.  
**  
Estes was away with his generals again and leaving the kingdom in her charge. Before he went, he had his subordinates done all essential tasks while he away. The little prince, due to his nannies, didn’t need much care from her either. So technically, Karina didn’t have to do much, instead of dismissing the servants and occupied herself with anything she could think of.  
As a routine task to kill her boredom, she fed the canary with some oats. It was the wedding gift from one of her King’s subordinate that she couldn’t recall his name, although the only thing she could remember about him was his skinny wife who sometime gave her a peculiar look. A gift from the south-that was what he said.  
The bird was quite a sight to look at. Just slightly bigger than an adult’s fist with a tiny beak, clad in golden velvet feather. Its little orbs shined like two black beans. Such a cutie birds lived in a pure golden cage, fed everyday with lavish food and yet, she never heard its voice.  
“Bird doesn’t always sing. Am I correct?”. She absentmindedly asked her handmaiden who stood just within an earshot. The young girl never left her side and always ready for her order.  
“Yes, my lady, only the male sings. To attract his mate.”  
“I see”. She replied .Then perhaps this bird was a female.  
“I ran out of wheat”. Karina pointed to the empty tray. “Bring me some”.  
The obedient girl left afterwards. When she was left alone in her room, Karina dragged her heavy royal attire and made her way to the backdoor, where a certain guy had been standing there for hours.  
“You shouldn’t be here”. She reprimanded, obviously didn’t appreciate his visit.  
“And you shouldn’t let your guest wait.”  
Karina pursed her lips. She had detected him stalking her for hours but she just simply ignored, thinking he would leave soon after found out she had nothing to spy on. But she never thought this guy could be that persistent. 2 hours? Seriously, what is he up to?  
“What do you want?”. She got straight to the point, wasn’t in the mood to play his guessing game.  
“Just a small talk”.  
“What if I say I’m not interested to entertain you?”  
“You can, but that doesn’t mean I have to leave.”  
“Then leave now”. Karina concluded. End of discussion. “Before I call my guard.”  
However, paid no heed to her threat, Gusion proceed on sitting down on one of her chairs, calmly replied. “So this is Karina they are talking about”. He took a peek on her, slightly smirked he saw her affected by his words. “First daughter of the great leader of the night elf tribe and a most deadly female assassin of all time. Yet she ran away with her lover who happens to be the king of the moon elf. How irony.”  
“How do you know about that?”.  
“The wind told me. Though I must say you father was still bitter towards your elopement”.  
“How is he now?”. Karina couldn’t help but asked. She missed her father so much although their relationship has deteriorated since she declared her love with Estes.  
“Fine”. He replied with his monotone void of any feeling while taking the liberty of pouring himself a cup of tea, obviously wanted to prolong their chat. “Actually, more than fine when he tried to evade every land his horse carried him to, burning my house down the last time I was there.”  
“But probably he will be sick to death if he found out who his daughter has turn into”. He smirked while giving her a pity look.  
“Open your mouth again and I will make sure you have no body part to call tongue”.  
In return, Gusion just shrugged indifferently while his eyes looking at some point behind her back, enjoying the rest of his teacup.  
“Chill out. I was just trying to answer your question.”  
“Leave”. Karina had had enough. If he didn’t leave, she would made him to.  
Nevertheless, this time, he did, much to her relief, but not before whispering his favorite salute to her ear.  
“See you later.”  
**  
Karina never really planned to stalk anyone, considered how indecent it is. However, her instinct kept telling her, keeping an eye on him will be a wise move. According to some of her intelligence, he was a new assassin who her King just recruited for the upcoming battle. Young and reckless. Born with natural talent in playing with daggers but ran away from home due to unresolved conflict with his parents. She didn’t bother to remember his name, although some of her girl servants went crazy because of his divine handsomeness.  
Honestly, she didn’t expect she would she him again. He was wise enough not to mistake her bitchy attitude or her venomous tongue to be something close to hospitality. However, either she wasn’t too good in expressing the hidden message or he was just simply too dumb, he kept coming back. And entertained her with his “marvelous adventure”. He knew she didn’t believe him so one time, he brought her a feather which she assumed it was from an ostrich, as a prove of “a giant carnivorous bird attacked my basecamp in the middle of the night, chewed the heads of my comrades and left me the only one live to tell the tale”. But frankly speaking, it did little to ease her doubt about the reality of his stories.  
And also the reason why he keep coming back to her, like a bee attracted to a flower.  
“I find myself lost in the middle of wilderness, surrounding me were nothing but numerous of gargantuan trees that blocked the sunlight, only allowing a few rays to seep in here and there. It was completely silent and the only sound I heard was my feet stepping on the leaves. Well, that makes sense, I guess because no creature should have the gut to live in such an eerie place like this. I took a few steps forward and strange things started to happen. On the forest floor, laid a heap of falling leaves, as if it was cover something underneath. It was quite odd and I would have come closer to investigate if those leave didn’t start to burn. I don’t know what lit the fire but it spread really fast. Just seconds later, all the forest floor was engulf in a flame and even the nearby trees was starting to catch the fire. It was hot as fuck and I should start to run for my life since dying by forest fire isn’t a valiant death and quite painful I must say. But no, I kept standing like a statue and watched the scene unfold before my eyes.”  
“And, your highness, I see a phoenix, rising from the ash, ascended towards the sun. Its plumage was so radiant that I have to cover my eyes ‘cos I don’t want them to go blind…”  
“And you expect me to believe in your bullshit?” Karina interrupted while rubbing her temples, decided that she had has enough of this.  
“No, but do you want to confirm it?”. He grinned, obviously didn’t feel offended by her insult.  
“Like, do you want to come with me and see for yourself”. He elaborated with his charming smile. His voice was suddenly deep and low.  
The words flowed in the air. An open invitation. Like a low hanging fruit, it was so tempting and intriguing yet so easy to reach.  
The stories he told her, although mostly self-made and full of delusion but it made her recall the time she had with her clan. It was good old days. Karina remembered the time she went hunting with her father in a deep forest. He has trained her to be one of the most formidable assassin of all time, committed murders with her double blades. But fear not ‘cause she still had her sense not to kill just to ease her boredom. Karina didn’t regret what she did and she would pay anything just to go through it once again.  
Nevertheless, she knew, likes a Pandora box, it’s okay if you just gaze and appreciate the outer shell. But don’t you dare open up to look what’s inside, since it contains nothing but vile curses. Sadly, she did open one when she eloped with Estes and she won’t take the risk if it was only to repeat the same mistake again. Therefore, like a wise queen she was famous for, Karina politely turned down his offer.  
*  
To be continued…  
(*) Ride - Lana Del Rey


	4. Phoenix(2)

Part 2: The phoenix  
*  
“Like the legend of the phoenix  
All ends with beginnings”. (*)  
*  
This was the third night in a week Karina couldn’t sleep.  
At first, she blamed it on the tea. Maybe, taking it in too much before sleep isn’t a good idea, especially when herself already is a light sleeper. However, when the insomnia didn’t go away after she has quit drinking for weeks, she started to think about something more serious.  
Karina even demanded the palace doctor to give her some sleeping pills. But it’s no use. And therefor, a good sleep slowly has become something that out of her reach. Estes has spent the night in his study for four consecutive nights. According to one of her trusted servants, the King’s pretty general, Miya, never left his side.  
She never thought envy can cause insomnia, especially when she wasn’t a jealous type, but here she was again, lying flat on her back on the cold bed, staring at the celling with her eyes wide open while listening to the ticking sound of the clock. It has passed midnight but sleep was still nowhere to be found. Karina couldn’t make herself fully shut down her brain. Among many turbulent thoughts crossed her sober mind, she found herself thinking about Gusion and their last encounter, wondering if turning down his offer was the worst mistake she ever make.  
“What’s your story this time?” Karina asked as soon as he set food in her room, didn’t spare him any seconds.  
“Must you be that cruel?” Gusion heavily dropped himself to the chair, rested his face on his palm. His breath came in short and shallow, as if he just came back from a 3-hour-marathon. “Hours ago I even thought I would drop dead in the middle of a fucking dessert and all you care about is what’s your bedtime story today?”  
“So what do you want me to say?”  
“A how-are-you will be great.”  
“Ok, how are you?”. Karina complied with his wish, repeated his words with a slightly less concern. It took her a great effort to say but only earned her a frustrated sign in return.  
Gusion lifted both of his hands in the air, surrendered. “I give up”.  
But Karina just simply ignored. It wasn’t her fault that make him behave like an ass.  
“Anyways”. She continued, didn’t allow his foul mood to ruin the night. It was such a peaceful night and it would be such a pity if it ends up with an argument. “What is beyond those mountains?”  
“More mountains, sometimes there’s a vast valley in between but mostly just mountains”. He replied while silently lamented the fact that his favorite violet scarf has been torn to nothing but a pure rag. Those bandits surely had to pay for this. “But it will be better if you witness with your own eyes”.  
“Hmph”.  
“Karina”.  
He reached inside his no-longer-scarf and gave her a branch of peach flowers. White and fresh, just cut from the main tree. She thought as if she just has the whole spring wrapped up in her hand.  
“I can show you more than this. If you only let me”. His voice sounded desperate.  
“Come with me”. He enveloped his hands around her right hand. His eyes talked more than the words slipped from his lips.“I will free you from this prison, I promise”. He continued.  
Although Gusion had prepared himself for many thing. For backstabbing ally, for living a disabled or for dying in action, a rejection was surely what he didn’t even think of.  
Perhaps he was right, she was indeed cruel because the next thing he knew, was her hand slipping away from his as a firm “No” was echoing in his head.  
And he didn’t show up for the next three months. Later, through one of the King’s subordinates, she found out Estes had sent him to a suicide mission, assassinating his former commander betrayed their Kingdom. Her handmaiden, who also happened to be her undercover spy, however, said it was Gusion volunteered to fulfill the mission. Either ways, Karina thought, it proved only one thing that Estes was a coward king. He never fought in frontline of a battle and always had the other do the dirty job. Just like a game of chess.  
She wrapped a blanket around herself, suddenly felt chilly. There was a thunderstorm strike the kingdom, though she didn’t found it odd since storm likely to happen in the spring.The cold wind howled over the roof, threatened to rip it off in many pieces. Its eerie whistling sound could made the bravest men shivered in fear. Karina hugged herself tight as she cocooned in her comfy blanket, couldn’t recall the last time Estes and her spent time together. When was it? Weeks, months or years before?. He almost stepped out of her life the day she gave birth to their son, always occupied himself with his duty and she even questioned herself if she did anything wrong. More than three times she thought that maybe he only married her for a sole purpose and that is to produce a strong successor. Someone that could carried on his lineage and legacy.  
The curtains shifted a bit, drawing her attention with a shadow imprited in it. At first, she thought it was the silhouette of the trees but when it started to move, her sharp instinct of a former assassin started to alert.  
“Gusion?” Karina called out, hoped to hear his familiar voice in return.  
“Wrong…”. A feminine voice spoke up in the dark, accompanied with a rustling sound when the curtain was cut in haft, piled up to the floor as the mysterious figure decided to show herself.  
Karina eyes went wide when she realized who was standing before her.  
How is this even possible?  
“Long time no see”. The woman greeted as she approached her prey with long but careful strides. She stopped in front of the bed just mere meters. The two horns on her head protruded in the dim light and her double blades glimmered in the dark. “Did you miss me?”  
Karina cannot even lift a finger or make any sound. Every nerve fiber in her body told her to flee but she just sat still and stared back at the assaulter in terror.  
The woman gave an insidious smirk, the corner of her lips curved up in mockery. Outside, lightning and thunder kept striking across the grey sky with its deafening roar.  
“So, any last word?”.  
The poor queen startled as she felt the warm breath on her earlobe. The assaulter had stood directly next to her bed, bended down to meet her eyes level. Karina found herself looked at the face that exactly identical to hers, as if she was staring at the mirror.  
“Die, you filthy woman” was the last thing she heard before an emerald blade lunged for her throat.  
**  
The next morning, Karina found herself lying on the floor, pillows and blanket scattered all around her indicating she must fall from the bed during sleep. She lifted a hand to press at her temple. Her head hurt like hell and her upsetting stomach made her just wanna throw up. Maybe, alcohol isn’t a good sedative.  
Karina dragged herself to the wide-opened window, quickly closed it before the chilling morning breeze could made its way to her room. Not until then did she realized the curtains were soaking wet, dripping droplets of water to the floor. Considered how severe the storm last night, it was such a miracle that she didn’t freeze to death.  
However, her favorite bird, wasn’t that lucky. She was about to change its food when she found out her canary was dead. Poor little creature. Its body was cold as an ice cube. Its tiny legs froze in place and its beak wide opened. She wondered if it did sing any last song before its death.  
Karina placed its body in an empty food stray, casually buried it next to a bush of her red roses and quietly gave herself a minute of mourning. Then, as if remember something, she hurriedly dressed herself in casual clothes, made her way to her son’s palace, decided to pay him a visit.  
The prince didn’t live far from her place, giving to the fact that she was his mother. When she came, the baby prince has already woke up and was having his breakfast. He sat on a tiny table with many toys scattered around him while his nanny fed him cookies with orange juice. His chubby cheeks filled with unchewed cookies and yet he still opened his mouth anticipating another one. Crushes and juice spilled all over his face and his tiny bib.  
“Give me my son”. Karina firmly demanded, drawing attention from her son and the nanny. She held her head high and looked straight ahead.  
The nanny with silver hair reluctantly gave Karina a worried glance with her green eyes. “He is a little nasty, my lady”. She sheepishly grinned, feeling guilty boiling up her heart since she made the queen seen her little prince in such a messy state. She was new to this job and was so much inexperienced to take care a baby. “I’ll bring him to you once he‘s done bathing.”  
So they didn’t even listen to me. Karina thought. Right, I almost forgot, they were Estes’ servants and only took order from him. I am not even their mistress.  
Damn them all.  
“Give him to me”. Karina repeated herself with her hoarse voice, didn’t even raise her tone although everyone can tell her patient has worn very thin. Her dangerous glares implied that she wasn’t in the mood for argument. “And remove yourself from my presence”  
The young girl was about to protest but quickly dismissed the idea when she earned a death glare from her queen. She had heard some rumors about the queen consort. One of them said she was an assassin before marrying to her King. A skilled one.  
And ruthless.  
And although she wasn’t qualified in baby care, especially the royal one, but she still had an ounce of sense to know exactly how to keep her head attached to her neck. And that surprisingly included of complying with every order of her master.  
Quickly scooped the baby to her arms, the girl walked to where Karina stood, gave her his son and quietly made her way out of the room as fast as she can, didn’t dare to look at her queen. Once she was out of sight, Karina released the breath that she was holding and diverted her attention to her baby.  
The young prince was truly his father’s son. He had Estes’ nose, his fair skin and his dreamy eyes. Even his hair was silver, like his father, not emerald like hers. She tried so hard to find any trace in his face that resembled to his mother but sadly, it was a lost hope. The baby was separated from her since his birth. His name was chosen by the council and his nannies took turn attending him. Karina even wasn’t allowed to nurse him on her breasts and was constantly be told by her handmaiden that it was for the best. Frankly speaking, she saw no good in it. She couldn’t help but feel as if her body was just a vessel for their new heir and even started to wonder when will her baby forget his mother’s face.  
Holding her son tightly, she carried him to the nearby door, took a small walk in the garden while measuring his weight with her arms. Karina never considered herself an expert in childcare but she knew for sure the baby was well taken care of. His chubby arms and legs proved that he was well nourished. But although he may wanted nothing from her, she was his mother. He was her son and she had the right to have him by her side. Not those pathetic weak nannies.  
Do they really think she could hurt her child?. She bitterly thought.  
“No matter what they say, just remember, I am your mama.” Karina cooed to his ear, smelled all the sour of the orange juice from his hair.  
“Ma…mama”. The little one imitated her word. His little mouth brushed through her cheek as if he tried to give her a light kiss. His hand had a fistful of her hair and tugged it with all his might.  
She smirked triumphantly as she kissed him in the lips, tasting all the flavor of pumpkin cookies he just ate earlier, pride radiated from her heart. Never before had she felt warm and connected to him since the first time she hold him right after the bloody labor. Perhaps his body wasn’t fully hers but his soul was her to take. At least his first word wasn’t something stupid like Nanna. Those nannies weren’t worth to be his first word. Karina wrapped the baby in a loving embrace, taking a walk among those blooming flowerbeds whilst tried to talk to him as much as she could although she knew her son didn’t understand anything. He was still so young but Karina just hoped he will remember this lovely morning, as well as her voice forever as he growing up.  
**  
Three days after her visit to the young prince, Gusion came back.  
When Karina entered her chamber after a walk in her garden, she found him sitting at her table tea, at his familiar spot, with his smirking face. Like an unexpected rain in the summer, he always popped in unannounced and then without any herald, disappeared like a wind.  
His entrance, as usual, was enigmatic and he always had his cool aura round him. The only thing different from their last met, was a bandage wrapped around his head, covering his left eye.  
“I thought you won’t come back”. Karina said the first thing that came to her mind, trying to keep her voice as much indifferent as she could. However, her voice still sounded too happy to her liking.  
“Me too, never thought I can get out of that battle alive”.  
“But?”  
“But I told myself I have to live because there’s a queen waiting for me back home”.  
“Don’t flatter yourself.”  
“I didn’t”.  
To be honest, Karina couldn’t deny she was thrilled to see him back. His familiar soft voice could stir some strange sentiment in her heart, more than she cared to admit. She couldn’t quite name the feeling but maybe it was satisfaction and bliss…  
and perhaps hope.  
Anyways, simply put, she didn’t exactly miss him or long for him, but some part of her just felt contented to see him back all in one piece. Well, sort of.  
“What’s wrong with your eye?”. She asked with her curious tone. It not liked she care about him, but judging from the bloody wrapping, it looked painful.  
“It’s gone”. He shrugged, as if he himself couldn’t even understand where his eye went although seconds ago it was still inside his socket. “That bastard must have shot me with his filthy arrow. Woosh!” He mimicked the sound of the flying arrow and then waving his hand in a farewell gesture. “Bye bye the left eye and hello Gusion the cyclops”.  
Karina gave him a stern glare. Seriously, she failed to see anything so hilarious about losing a part of body, not to mention it was his freaking eye. “If you were more serious, you have been intact now”.  
“Maybe, but I don’t regret what I did””. He smirked. “If I am to be blind then so be it, as long as I can keep my life”.  
“It’s a collateral damage, you know”. He added.  
“Hmph”.  
“Anyway, don’t you want to hear my story anymore”. Gusion changed their topic in an attempt to cheer up the atmosphere between them.  
“I’m not interested”.  
“Oh?”.  
Karina stepped toward the window and diverted her gaze to the mountains far away, her hand slightly touched the golden cage that hanged on the frame. It was completed empty since the canary’s death but she couldn’t find a reason to throw it away. She couldn’t find any replacing bird either. The metallic coldness slowly made its way to her finger, crept under her skin and made herself slightly shivered. After all, the sky was home to any bird and she had no right to force it to live in a cage.  
“I need to inform the King of my arrival.” He suddenly spoke up after a long silence and stood up from his seat. “See you later”.  
“Is it still alive?”  
Gusion turned his head to look at her, who still facing the window frame, didn’t quite sure what he just heard “I’m sorry?”  
Karina looked at the refection of the moon imprinted on the surface of the pond. It was so authentic, so real and yet it disappeared right after a koi fish suddenly gasped for air at the water surface. She tilted her head up to the sky. The moon was still there, full and intact as if it has never left; so beautiful, so mesmerizing and yet so far too reach.  
The moon she had by her side, was nothing more than a mere illusion. The real one, however, was too far away.  
“The phoenix in your story”. Karina finally replied and turned to see him. He never saw determination written that clearly in her face before.  
“Is it still alive?”. She repeated.  
*  
“If we are going to heal, let it be glorious”.  
*  
The moon elf kingdom was slowing inched towards July. Autumn was just around the corner. The scene of those majestic evergreen mountains was just much more magnificent when the leaves turned brown.  
Standing at top of the mountain and looking down over the kingdom, Karina had to admit, the view was much more impressive than when she looking up from her room. The monsoon which had the salty scent of the ocean gently caressed her skin like a lover. She let her dress danced freely with the wind. And so did the scarf Gusion lent her earlier.  
“Where should we go?”. Gusion halted the horse before her, slightly smiled with a blade of grass in his mouth. The sun hasn’t fully rise but she could see his eyes shinning like the stars.  
“Anywhere”. She seized the harness on her horse while giving it light pat to its neck in an attempt to calm it down. No need to get excited boy, all roads lead to Rome.  
“Let’s head to the east?” He suggested.  
“Why?”  
“Do you want to see the sun rise?”.  
“Good idea.” She quickly approved.  
“And by the way, welcome home, Karina”. Gusion said and he rode his horse ran forward, leaded the way.  
Karina turned her head back and gave the castle one last glance. The pointed roof of the sentry tower reminded her of the time she has buried her youth in the chamber.  
“You cannot lock me with just four walls, Estes.” She thought while adjusting the scarf when it blocked her vision, quickly followed him before his figure disappeared to the dense morning mist that started to roll over the land.  
Rumor will have it that she was ruthless or lunatic or a slut who left her husband and even her child for a womanizer. But, deep inside her, she knew exactly who she was.  
She was Karina. She was wild. She was the night elf who just escaped from a life sentence and couldn’t wait to see what’s ahead.  
*  
The end.  
(*): Get lucky – Daft Punk  
A/n:  
Phoenix (Ancient Greek: φοῖνιξ, phoînix) is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates. Associated with the Sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. According to some sources, the phoenix dies in a show of flames and combustion, although there are other sources that claim that the legendary bird dies and simply decomposes before being born again. (Wikipedia)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have 1 draft that i have written for more than a year but life just doesn't let me finish it:)). When i do, that oneshot should be named Retrouvailles:)


End file.
